The man who led Google’s foray into social networking is leaving the company.

“Now is the time for a new journey,” wrote Vic Gundotra in a Google Plus post announcing his departure after eight years.

So what does that mean for Google Plus? If you ask Google, absolutely nothing. But if you ask TechCrunch’s Alexia Tsotsis and Matthew Panzarino, it means Google Plus is walking dead.

In theory I am on Google Plus. I think in three years I’ve gone into it twice. Have never worked out how it can benefit me so just ignore all the messages I get from it.

So I tend to think it is doomed.

However services can make themselves more relevant. I never used to see the point of Linked In, but in the last couple of years it has become quite useful – even if just as a CV reference service. The endorsements useful also. So I do use Linked In a but now – but to be fair only to check a specific person out – not like Twitter and Facebook where I just check in to browse when I have spare time.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 30th, 2014 at 9:12 am and is filed under Internet.
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I am not on Twitter, Linkedin, instagram, I don’t own a “Smart”phone and will pay in cash wherever possible (I am on facebook more out of necessity than choice). In today’s increasing surveillance society where privacy is invaded at every click of a mouse or press of a button, you want to be as anonymous as possible especially when expressing the “wrong” opinion can result in you losing your job or being banned from the NBA in today’s increasingly Orwellian society.

Technological “progress” has actually resulted in a colossal regression in freedom, liberty, independence, choice, and intelligent questioning of authority.

Let’s say I log in to linkedin. I see what looks like a bunch of endorsement requests from my friends – perhaps I can endorse Sam for Web Develoment! Well, I guess Sam wants me to do that, so I click the button.

But the thing is that Sam hasn’t actually done anything here – Linkedin has guessed that Sam is a web developer from profile and network information, and put up this screen for me. Sam gets an email suggesting that I spontaneously decided that he’s a great web developer, I think that Sam’s the one who asked for the request, and so on.

This is how I got endorsed for stuff I have no idea about by an ex-girlfriend I haven’t seen in years.

I use Google Plus almost daily. Not for the facebook page stuff but for the community pages. It’s easier to use for the community owners (It’s easier to post media than on facebook) and the App works on me Android (whereas I can’t find the pages on the facebook Android App).

EAD: Spot on Sir/Madam…damned if I can see why you got downticked for that post..I do as you do, and avoid a “digital profile” as much as possible…this site is the only one I contribute to regularly…I also ignore all the exhortations from LinkedIn to join up…

Most people – including the young – have no idea how facebook and other similar sites are used by employers to check on prospective employees..or current ones. There are an increasing number of cases where employers have found insults about them or admissions of misconduct at work (often because the employee has forgotten he added the employer as a “friend”) which results in a DCM.

But what is even more disturbing for me is the fact that some employers now search FB etc., and if the prospective employee does NOT have a presence there, that is seen as a sign they wont be a “team player” or some such…So you can’t win either way.

Here’s a prediction…soon there will be increasing numbers of people (like me) who resolutely eschew as much as humanly possible any invovlement with fb, LinkedIn etc…But I feel we’ll be like the guy who tried to stop the windmill…

I think I’m on Google + too but I’ve never used it. I have a twitter profile, but only use it sporadically, as it’s often the fastest way to contact a company or business to ask a question. I’m on Instagram, but hardly ever post to it – I just look at everybody else’s photos I quite like Pinterest, and have been using it more and more to save images I want to look at later.

I don’t Snapchat (which seems to be the new thing that everyone is in to), or Viber.

I’m also on LinkdIn but don’t go there much. I get the endorsements from people, but sometimes I’m not sure why.
I’m looking for more work, so maybe I should use it more.